Meeting
by elizabethfisher
Summary: The first time Hope Mikaelson met Landon Kirby.


Hope Mikaelson sat in the back corner of the Mystic Grill. She looked out the window and sighed, snow had started to come down and she missed home. Mostly she missed her mom, who she had just seen 2 weeks prior over Christmas break. Snow didn't fall often in New Orleans, but here in Mystic Falls, Virginia it did.

Today was the one Saturday a month the older students of the Salvatore Boarding School got to come to town. Most students spent it shopping in small local shops, or having lunch at the grill with friends, but 15 year old Hope didn't have many friends to speak of. Or any, really. She preferred her solitude over the bubbly giggles of girlfriends.

She turned from the window back to her book as a server, a guy about her age with dark, curly hair, brought over her order.

"One peanut butter milkshake, whipped cream on the bottom," he said with a small smile.

She gave a polite smile back, "Thanks, um, Landon," she said reading his name tag.

"Gotta admit, that's the first time I've ever had one requested that way. A little weird. Not that weird is bad," he tried to back track his words awkwardly.

She gave a small laugh remembering her mom. She always teased Hope about eating it that way.

"So, are you new here?" He asked. "I definitely haven't seen you at Mystic Falls High."

"No, not really. I go to the Salvatore School."

"Oh," he said shifting awkwardly. He looked nervous but sad that she didn't go to the same school as him. "Fancy."

"You could say that." He was cute in a normal way. The guys at school were often so full of themselves. Because of their abilities they thought everyone should be impressed with them, but Landon seemed shy and unsure of himself in an enduring kind of way.

She heard one of the other servers call for him, obviously thinking he was spending to much time chatting. She watched him close his eyes, sigh, then open his eyes.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your book. It was nice to meet you, um," he paused as if searching for a name.

"Hope," she filled in. "Hope Marshall." She hated having to use her moms last name but it was always safest, being a Mikaelson drew to much attention.

Landon held out a hand for her to shake. She looked at it, and then up at him. 15 year olds didn't often offer hand shakes but she took it. His hand was pleasantly warm. "Landon Kirby. It was nice to meet you, Hope Marshall. Maybe I'll see you around."

She spent all afternoon at the grill and out of the cold. By the time 2 o'clock rolled around the lunch crowd was long gone. As she was walking out the doors of the Mystic Grill she saw Landon in the square, bundled in a jacket on a bench, writing away in a little notebook. The snow had stopped coming down but it had covered everything in white. She saw some kids building a snowman near the fountain. Against her better judgment she walked over to Landon.

"Mind if I sit?"

He looked up at her in surprise. "No, not at all." He hurriedly started to wipe the snow from the bench so she could join him.

She sat down and didn't say anymore. She could feel him staring at her, as if in disbelief she was really here, but didn't meet his eye. She just looked out over the square until finally, she spoke. "A little chilly to be hanging out outside, don't you think?" She had her gloved hands shoved deep in her dress jacket pockets.

He shrugged. "Better than being home," he said somewhat cryptically. "Plus, I have to be back at the grill in a few hours for the dinner crowd."

"Home can be a hard place to be sometimes," she was surprised by her own honestly. She glanced over at him.

"Yeah," he agreed. It was his turn to look over the square, then back at her. "So, uh, where's home for you? I mean, when you're not at the boarding school."

"New Orleans."

"Wow. You guys don't see snow like this a lot, do you?"

She smiled at him, "No. It's much warmer, even in the winter. What about you? Lived in Mystic Falls long?" She was sure she hadn't seen him in town before, though she only came into town when school allowed.

"Uh no," he said, then got an embarrassed kind of look on his face. "I kinda bounce around from place to place a lot."

She nodded, then a chill went through her causing her to shiver. She wished she could do a warming spell, but that was out of the question in front of Landon.

"It must be hard," she said, "moving around a lot, I mean."

"Kind of. No where really ever feels like home." There was a sad tone to his voice. He let out a heavy sigh. "But you learn to adapt, you know? Just keep going. Make the most of each place. Each place can be a new chance. You never know who you'll get to meet." He smiled at her.

She smiled back at him and nodded, "Very true." Landon was an easy person to have a conversation with she discovered. "So where your favorite place been so far?"

"I'm actually kinda liking it right here," he said. Hope raised an eyebrow at him. "No, seriously. School sucks, but the job's ok, and town is nice. I've been here six months and I'm pretty sure there are more festivals and events then anywhere I've ever been." Hope let out a small laugh. "No, seriously. There's that founders day thing, and the Miss Mystic pageant that none of the girls would shut up about, the tree lighting ceremony, at least 3 decade dances at school. Not to mention the Founders fundraiser they do at the grill where they auction off dates, which just seems weird."

"That is weird," Hope agreed.

"I get being into history, but sometimes history seems to hold us back, ya know? All these founding families and they probably didn't even really found the town. Someone was here before them I'm sure."

Hope's mind went to her own family. Her father had been born on this land long before Mystic Falls was a town.

"You know," she started. "There's an old legend that Vikings actually settled this land long before the founders."

"Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"See! That's so much cooler than founding families and parties. Vikings were badasses."

She smiled. It was nice to have someone think her family could be cool, even if he didn't know the truth. She looked out over the square again. The plow trucks had come out, which meant the bus for school would be back soon.

"Thanks," she heard Landon say. She looked over at him. "Today was kind of shit, but I'm glad I got to meet you, Hope."

"Yeah," she started but she was interpreted by a voice she knew too well, yelling from down the sidewalk.

"Marshall, mom said it's time to go." Lizzie Saltzman had attitude in her voice.

Hope rolled her eyes.

"Friends of yours?" She could hear the sarcasm in Landon's voice and she appreciated it more than he knew. No one tended to get Hope's sarcastic remarks.

"No. Those are the twins," she stated, without looking over her shoulder she knew that not only Lizzie was standing there, but Josie as well. Hope would bet her life that their arms were linked, as if being to far apart would hurt them. "Their parents run the school."

"Ohhh, privilege."

"Something like that. We've never really gotten along."

"I can see that."

"I'd better go." She stood and Landon did, too. He wasn't to much taller than her she noticed, which was nice. She'd never been very tall and people often towered over her, even in heels. "But maybe I'll see you around." She quoted what he'd said to her earlier that day.

"Maybe."

"Bye, Landon."

"Bye, Hope."

She walked over to the twins, who were standing just as she'd thought, waiting on her.

"That your boyfriend, Marshall?"

"Lizzie!" Hissed Josie.

"What? I'm just surprised someone could have a crush on such a... witch."

"Not that it's your business, but he's not my boyfriend. I just meet him today. He works at the grill." Hope stated, praying Lizzie would drop it. Hope didn't want to fight with the twins today.

"Ugh."

"Well I think he's kinda cute," Josie gave Hope a small smile.

"Don't let Penelope hear you say that, Jo. The she-witch might come out." Lizzie teasted her twin, pulling them ahead of Hope.

Hope roller her eyes at Lizzie. She could feel Landon watching her as she walked away and she smiled to herself. She decided to be brave and turned her eyes back to him. He was still standing in the same stop, seeming dumbfounded that Hope had given him the time of day. Boys didn't look at her like that.

She gave him a smile and a small wave before heading to the bus.


End file.
